Occupant-steered vehicle



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,451,868

c. DAHL O CGUPANT STEERED VEHICLE Filed Nov. 25 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet lN/"\ Apr. 17, 1923.

1,451,868 C. DAHL OCCUPANT STEERED VEHICLE Filed NOV. 25 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Qn Patented Ilpr. l?, lgll.

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CONRAD DAHL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T DONALD M. CARTER, TRUSTEE,

OF CHECAGO, TLLTNOIS.

OCCUPANT-STEERED VEHICLE.

Application led November 25, 1921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Colman DAHL, a citizen oi the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State oit lllinois, haveinvented certain new and use- 'tul Improvements in Occupant-SteeredVehicles, ot which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose-of this invention is to provide an improved construction ota vehicle adapted to be steered by the occupant by means of a forwardsteering wheel operated by a pedal lever or levers, mounted at a M5position on the frame below the level ot the top oit the vehicle. ltconsists in the elements and features oi construction, shown anddescribed, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan view ot a vehicle embodying thisinvention, the :traine structure being broken away at the middle part tocondense the view.

Figure 2 is a. vertical tore-and-a-tt sec- 25 tional view comprising theforward portion of the main trame and the steering trame and steeringwheel.

Figure 3 is a. section at the line, 3 8, on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section at. the line, 4 4, on Figure l.

' In the structure shown in the drawings, the main frame comprises twoside bars, l, l, which extend rigidly from the rear axle, 2, whichconnects them together, convergingly forward to a point liust behind theforward steering wheel where they are secured together by a tie plate,S. From this tie pla-te, the two inclined bars, 4, 4, one above theother extend up forwardly to a. point above the top or' the steeringwheel and are there bent to extend substantially horizontally torwardparallel to each other te a head block, 7, which is interposed betweenthem and to which they are both secured` said head block affording thesubstantially vertical ournal. bearing `or the steering trarne. rlhebars, fl, 4, form substantially a truss which is stillened by thestruts, 6, 6, these struts bcing in the form ot spacing sleeves on thebolts, wh-ich clamp the bars together upon the spacers. The trussdescribed which terminates in and holds the steering head is bracedlaterally by oblique braces, 8, 8, extending from the opposite sides or'the steer Serial No. 517,443.

ing blocks, 7, divergingly Ldown and rearward to the lorward end portionof the rigid frame bars, l, to which said braces are respectivelysecured at their rear lower ends. The head block, 7, is thus veryrigidly secured with respect to the rigid side bars, l, l, being bracedin vertical and horizontal planes as described.

The steering trame comprising vertical side bars, l0, l0, connectedtogether at the lower ends by the steering wheel axle or spindle, 9u. Attheir upper ends said bars, l0, are each spread outwardly at rightangles forming oppositely-eatending steering arms, 10a, 10a; and at saidupper ends these bars, l0, l0, are delinitely spaced apart and heldparallel by bars, 12, l2, which are bent at right angles at both ends,forming downturned lug` members which are spot-welded or otherwiserigidly secured inside the bars, l0, l0, respectively, so that by saidtwo bars, l0, l0, and said two cross members, 12, l2, a rectangularspace is deiinitely bounded within which the steering head, 7, ispositioned, litting between the upper and lower bars, l2, l2, the kingbolt or steering trame pivot spindle or king bolt, 18, being set throughsaid bars, l2, l2, and through the head block, tor pivoting the steeringframe to the main iframe member. The steering arms, 10a, l0, are rigidlybraced in their oppositely eX- tending horizontal positions by obliquebraces, il, ll, extending from the ends of said steering arms, 10a, l0?,respectively, down convergently to the bars` l0, l0, to which they arerespectively secured, as by spot welding` at their lower ends. At theirupper ends the oblique bars, ll, ll, have outwardly bent ends which lapunder the ends ol' the arms, 10a, 10, for securement thereto, whichsecurement is ellected by the bolts, let, la, which constitute pivotalconnection ol steering links hereinafter described to said steeringarms, 10a, 10.

For operating the steering wheel, 9, a footoperated structure isprovided consisting of two parallel lever members extending transverselyof the main frame and pivoted therew to at their middle points andconnected at their .opposite ends by parallel pedalbarrying links, sothat said 'parallel links and levers are at all times maintained inparallel relation throughout their pivotal action about their respectivepivots and the pedals on said .links have all their positions parallel;

' showl In detail each of these lever members coniprises a main bar, 30,which eXtends across the main trame underneath the bars, l, 1, and anupper stiffening bar, 31, which eX- tends across said frame above thebar, 31, having its ends bent down as seen at 3l, and thence turnedoutwardly for lappingon the bar, 30, and being secured thereto as shownat 31h, at a distance inward from the end of said bar, 30. For pivotingthese lever members on the main Jframe there are provided, crossing thebars, l, l, above and below the same and parallel to each other, flatbars, 20, 20, above, and 2l, 2l, below said main frame bars. The mainframe bars the horizontal flanges of said angle iron and thefbars, 2l',are spaced away from the lower vside oi' said horizontal flanges byspacing sleeves, 22, 22, on the bolts., 23, 23, which secure 'and clamp,vthey twobars, 20 and' 21, together and tosaid horizontal flanges ol"the side-bars, l, l.

The bars, 30 and 310i@ the pedal steering levers extend crosswise of theframe in the same vertical plane as the bars, 20 and 21, being spaced'from said bars by spacing vashers', 32 above and 32a, below said bars20 and 2l, respectively, a pivot bolt taking through all four bars, thatis to say, the upperrbar, 3l of the lever, the upper cross bar', 20, onthe main frame, the lower cross bar, 2l, and the lower or main bar, 30,of the lever. The two levers thus constructed and mounted areeonnectedtogether as above mentioned, by parallel links, 33, at theiropposite ends, said'link's being extended beyondthe pedal levers in bothdirections,

and at their'rear ends having. rigidly secured to them, pedals, 34, 34.The extension of the links forwardly 'of the lever is for the purpose ofmaking provision for their adjustment'fore-and-aft on the pedal leversto accommodate the length of limb of the operating occupant of thevehicle. For this purpose said links are provided with a plurality ofbolt holes as seen at 33a, 33a, at any two' consecutive of which holesthe link may betconneeted to the lever. For operating the steering frame'from the pedal lever, links, 40, 40, extend from the forward one oftlietwo parallel pedal. levers up obliquely forward and outward'to thesteering arms, 10210, of the steering rame,wher'e they are connected as'above stated by the bolts, 14,14..

.50"representslthe occupants seat -from which the pedals, 34,34, may bereached by his feet" fori steering the vehicle.V

Means of propulsion of tlievehicle are notV *and any suitable'Avpropelling 'lrne'ans e* employed with the" nabove 'described uref-of.fl'iane" the st'eiliLiigTmecha? l claim:--

1. An occupant-steered vehicle, comprising in `combination with rearldrive-andcarrlving wheels and a front steering wheel, a frame structureconsisting of a main frame having the journal bearings for the drivingand steering wheel, and a steering frame for the ste ring wheel', themain frame having a steel .ig head through which the steering trame ispivoted for steering movement, a foot-operated steering lever pivoted onthe main frame behind the steering wheel, the stc-ieriiegl trame beingextended laterally at the top to form outwaidly-projecting steering`arms, and links Connecting theopposite ends ol the foot-operated leversrespectively, with the opposite ends oi' the steeringhead. arn'is, thepivot of the foot lever and all the pivots of the links being parallelto the pivot bearing of the steering frame in the steering head.

2. rin occupant-steered vehicle comprising in combination with reardrive-and-carryingr wheels and a front steering wheel, frame structureconsisting` of a main frame having the journal bearings for the drivingand carrying wheels, and a steering frame hav-` steering lever structurepivoted ou the trameback of said upward and forward Iextending parhendlinks connecting the oppositeiarins or" said vtoot steering leverstructure with the opposite arms respectively of the steering trame, theseveral parts being proportioned to render the steering frame pivotbearings inclined rearward when the wheels are all on the ground, andthe pivots of the foot le-v ver and all the pivots of the links beingparallel to said inclined steering frame pivot bearings.

3. in occupant-steered vehicle comprising` in combination with the reardrive-and-carrying` wheels and a front steering wheel` a 'trainestructure consisting of a main trame having` the journal bearin s "forthe ,driving-and-carrying wheels' and a steering frame having journalbeafingsfor the steerwheels, the main frame having a steering head'towhich the steering 'frame is pivoted for steering,r movement, and thesteering frame having oppositely-extending steering" arms; afoot-operated steeringlever structure pivoted on the main frame back ofthe steering wheel, comprising a pair ofequfal andparallel` levermemberspivoted on allel Vpivots one behind the ,otherv on the.

'lorward to av lili] ots of said lever member are situatedcon nectingsaid parallel lever members, and links connecting the opposite arms ofone ol said lever members with the steering Frame arms respectively.

et. An occupant-steered vehicle, comprising in combination with reardrive and carrying wheels` and a front steering wheel, frame structureconsisting of a main frame having journal bearings for thedrive-andcarrying wheels, and a steering frame for the steering wheel,said main frame compris ing a rigid structure extending from the rearaXle to a point behind the steering wheel, two bars secured to theforward end of said rigid structure extending obliquely up `iorward, oneabove the other, and thence extending approximately horizontally attheir forward terminals, and a block elnbraced and secured between saidterminals, having the steering frame pivot bearing; the steering framecomprising upright and transverse bars secured together to enclose arectangle between whose upper and lower sides the head-block-embracingbars are embraced, and a pivot bolt connecting said embraced andembracing parts.

5. An occupant-steered vehicle compris` ing in combination with reardrive and carrying wheels, and a front steering wheel, a frame structureconsisting of a main frame having the journal bearings for thedrivingandcarrying wheels, and a steering frame having journal bearingi'or 'the steering wheel, said main frame comprising a rigid structureextending from the rear axle to a point behind the steering wheel andtwo bars secured to the forward end of said rigid structure extendingobliquely up forward one above the other and both bent to :formapproximately hori- Zontal terminals; a head block embraced and securedbetween said terminals, having the steering frame pivot bearing, andlateral braces secured to the opposite sides of the head block andextendingdivergently obliquely down rearward and secured at their lowerrear ends to the forward end portion of the first mentioned rearwardstructure; whereby the head block is braced both vertically andhorizontally in fixed position with respect to said rigid structure ofthe frame.

6. ln the structure defined in claim 3 foregoing', each of saidootpperated levers coinprising an upper and a lower bar in the sameIvertical plane, one above and the other be low the low part oi' themain frame behind the steering wheel, the pivots of said footoperatedlevers to the main frame, extending through said main frame and said upper and lower bars or' the lever.

7. In the structure deined in claim 3, foregoing, steering pedalscarried on said steering-lever-connecting links, said links beingprovided with means for securing them at a plurality of oreand-aftpositions, and operating pedals carried upon the rear ends of saidlinks.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois,this 26th day of October, 1921.

CONRAD DAHL.

